of 20,312. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Chamba has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with a male literacy of 85% and female literacy of 77%. The administrative language is Hindi, whereas the locally spoken language is Chambeali. There are some speakers of Punjabi and Pashto, mostly of Sikh and Hindu descent, Those came here after partition in 1947. Away from the urban centre, the tribal people of Chamba (popularly known as Chambial) are divided into two major groups; the Gujjars and the Gaddis. The Gujjars, mainly nomads, came to Chamba across the state border from Kashmir along the trade routes. They belong to nomadic herdsmen of the Islamic community, and travel to lowland Punjab in the autumn with their livestock to avoid the harsh winter of the Chamba hills. Their features are Turkic and have a distinct language and culture aloof from the main town. The Gaddis comprise several ethnic groups; namely the Brahmans, Rajputs, Thakurs, Rathis and the Khatris, who form the majority. They are agricultural peoples, and the name "Gaddi" means "shepherd". They mainly inhabit an area of the Chamba district in the Dhaula Dhar mountains, known as Brahmaur Wazarat or "Gadaran", located between Chamba and Kangra. "Gadar" means sheep, so their land is informally referred to as "Gadaran", literally meaning "sheep country". They are believed to have come to Chamba in the 10th century, although an influx of Gaddi people migrated to Chamba from Lahore in the 18th century, during the Mughal Empire. They are said to practice animism combined with the worship of Lord Shiva. Administration There have been a total of 67 rajas who have ruled Chamba district since the Principality of Bharmour was established in the 6th century, beginning with Raja Maru. Indeed, it is believed to have been an isolated case in the history of India that the Chamba kingdom remained independent without interference for over 1000 years. Before Raja Sahila Varman, however, the territorial extent of the state of Chamba was ill-defined and was more a loosely based territory, marked by disunity. Chamba state was run by Ranas, petty rulers who were allocated locally governed areas known as "fiefdoms" and treated them as their own virtually independent kingdoms. It wasn't until the reign of Sahila Varman that these Raja lords were subjugated and the district of Chamba was consolidated formally